Who He Should Be
by Increasing Paranoia
Summary: "How bad is the hangover?" Bridge asked, voice muffled by the layers of sheets. "Don't talk so loudly. Actually, no talking. Be less noisy. Try breathing less."
1. The Incentive

A/N: Yay! My first chapter fanfiction under this name! So, um...well, this is awkward. *disappears back into shadows*

* * *

Perhaps the feelings that we experience when we are in love represent a normal state. Being in love shows a person who he should be. – Anton Chekhov

Sky knew he wasn't popular with his fellow rangers at the academy. He was too quiet, kept too much to himself. His spare time was spent working out – training his body to be stronger, faster, _better_ – or reading – expanding his mind to hold more information, to know everything he could. To Sky, this behavior was normal. It was what he had done since he was a child; it was what Sky had done since he had sworn to take down the culprit who had been responsible for his father's death. It had never occurred to Sky he could be someone more…human. At least it had never occurred to him until he had got utterly _wasted_ at the St. Patrick's Day celebration. His lowered inhibitions would start a series of events which would make the next few days…interesting.

~ Saturday, March 17

"Dude, your cousin is wasted." Romy stated, glancing to where the blue ranger was fighting a losing battle with gravity. Mage peered over his shoulder before biting back a laugh. "Good thing he has off tomorrow," Romy continued. "Otherwise he might eviscerate us instead of just getting even for getting him drunk."

"He might still eviscerate us," Mage replied. "I have photographic evidence in my possession." Romy's eyes widened in mock horror, before he stepped forward, grabbing his boyfriend's hand.

"My dear, it was lovely knowing you, but I think we need to break up." Mage laughed, whacking Romy over the head.

"Come on, let's get drunky back to the academy." Each of them grabbed an arm and hoisted the blue ranger to his feet. They stumbled their way to the academy before being stopped by locked gates. "Well, crap. Now what?"

"We home?" Sky slurred. "This doesn't look like my room. There's no Bridge here." Attempting to stand, the blond ranger fell on his butt. "Where's Bridge?" he asked petulantly.

"We've got to get him into the academy _somehow_." Romy said to Mage, ignoring Sky.

"M'gonna call Bridge," Sky slurred to nobody in particular. Pulling out his morpher, Sky stared evilly at it for a second – he didn't remember the buttons being this small before – before dialing in the green ranger's number. "Bridge?"

"Sky?" The blue ranger grinned as the tired voice came out of his morpher. "Where are you? Do you know how late it is?"

"I'm at the gate. It's not opening." Sky heard the younger ranger sigh tiredly, before the sound of rustling came over the speaker.

"It locks at eleven, remember?" There was more rustling and indistinct mutterings before he could hear Bridge clearly again. "I'm on my way." Five minutes later the green ranger was unlocking the gate and angrily stating, "You let him get _drunk?"_

"He got away from us. We couldn't find him right away." Mage explained. Bridge sighed, going to grab the blue ranger. Locking the gate behind him, Bridge concentrated on getting Sky back to their bedroom – not an easy task considering the fact that the older ranger was taller and heavier than he was.

"Sky, pick up your damn feet."

"Why?"

"Because it will help me get you back to our room faster." Bridge nearly tripped when Sky shifted his hands.

"I don't have my key," he stated, trying to dig into Bridge's pockets. "Do you have my key?"

"I have _my_ key. You left yours in the room so you wouldn't lose it. God, you're a handsy drunk," he groused, batting the other ranger's hands away from his body. "Stop that!" Sky giggled, sliding down the wall Bridge had placed him against. "I'm opening this door, and putting you into bed."

" You gonna join me?" Bridge ducked his head, choosing to focus on unlocking the door rather than replying. He hoped the dim light was enough to cover his blush. It was bad enough harboring a crush all these years, but then having said crush attempting to get into his pants while drunk – Bridge really hated his life sometimes.

"Come on," Bridge hoisted his teammate off the ground. Depositing him on the bed, he decided to at least get Sky's shoes and belt off.

"Knew you were trying to get in my pants," Sky slurred, trying to help and really just hindering the process.

"My secret is out," Bridge responded dryly. "I let my friends go out and get drunk just so I can take advantage of them when they're inebriated." Sky scowled at him and Bridge belatedly realized it was jealousy. "I'm joking, Sky."

"Better be," he muttered. "You staying?"

"I'm staying in _my_ bed. I'll be right over there," he stated, pointing to his bed across the room. When he glanced back at the blue ranger, he was already passed out. Bridge chuckled. "So romantic."

~ Sunday, March 18

"Kill it."

"What?" Bridge asked, pulling his head out from under the pillow.

"Alarm clock. Evil. Shoot it." Bridge barely stifled a laugh. Well, this was a new side to the blue ranger that he'd never seen before. Stretching out, the green ranger managed to silence the offending clock and switched the alarm off before burying himself back under the warmth of his covers.

"How bad is the hangover?" he asked, voice muffled by the layers of sheets.

"Don't talk so loudly. Actually, no talking. Be less noisy. Try breathing less."

"Want some water and medication?" A groan was his only response. In reality, Sky really only wanted to spend this day off sleeping. But Bridge said he'd get water and medicine and Sky was pretty certain that the Sahara desert had moved into his mouth during the night, so he'd wait until Bridge came back, steal the aforementioned items and _then_ go back to sleep. Plan. Yes. "Do you even remember what happened?" Sky opened his eyes, wincing at the bright light before tentatively opening them halfway. That was better. Taking the offered pills and water, Sky swallowed three before answering.

"I never remember. At least not right away. It'll filter back throughout the day. How big a fool did I make of myself?"

"Don't worry, I was the only one who saw you drunk," Bridge replied, plastering a fake smile onto his face. Sky's eyes narrowed at the younger boy's expression.

"What did I do?" he demanded. Bridge chuckled wryly and the sound wrenched Sky's heart.

"Don't worry about it. You said everything usually filters back throughout the day. If it does and you want to, we'll talk about it then." Bridge paused, looking at everything in the room before settling back on Sky. "I'm going to go get breakfast. Do you want anything?" The mere mention of food had Sky's stomach roiling in rebellion and it was only with extreme effort that the blue ranger made it to the bathroom in time. Bridge winced at the sound of Sky heaving and quickly exited the room. Making his way to the cafeteria, he picked up breakfast for himself and a large glass of ginger ale and a packet of saltines for the hung-over ranger. He ate his breakfast on the way back to their room, not wanting to upset Sky's stomach with the smell but the main room was still empty on his arrival. Knocking tentatively on the bathroom door he asked, "You okay in there?"

"Kill me now. Why the _hell_ did I think it was a good idea to drink last night?" Bridge bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. "And don't think I don't know that you're stifling your laughter!" Bridge burst out laughing.

"I'm putting your ginger ale and saltines on the nightstand!" he called through the door. "I have to go help Kat in the lab today – Boomer's out sick – but I'll be back later to see how you're doing, okay?" A hum of approval was the only response and Bridge exited the room. Shortly after he left, Sky stumbled out of the bathroom and all but fell back into bed. Fighting his blankets to get comfortable, he stopped short, pinching the bridge of his nose as he felt the first flashbacks of last night.

_He had a beer glass in one hand, laughing uproariously at a story Romy was recounting. Mage was sitting quietly, a content smile on his face but his eyes trained on his boyfriend. _

_It was dark outside; Shamrocks seemed to be literally pouring down from the sky. All three of them were a little tipsy and Mage was attempting to wrap a tacky, plastic necklace around his neck._

_He was sitting outside the academy, morpher in hand. Bridge was telling him that the gate locked at eleven, then telling him to stay there – he'd come and let him in._

Blinking back the impending headache, the first conclusion Sky came to was that he needed to plot revenge against his cousin and Romy. The second conclusion he came to was that he'd have to wait until later to figure out just _what_ he had done to Bridge. He seriously hoped he hadn't tried to make a move on him. Figuring that there was nothing he could do at the moment he curled back into bed.

* * *

Waking the second time was instantly better than waking the first time had been. To begin with, Sky woke instantly. Secondly, his head was merely throbbing, not beating out a staccato rhythm against his skull. Then there was the matter of his stomach, which had felt something akin to a ship at sea during a storm when he had first woken. Now it was more likely to resemble the sea during high wind gusts. Sky cheered internally after taking a few sips of ginger ale – his stomach was accepting it. Deciding that he couldn't just lay around in bed all day, however tempting it might be, Sky grabbed a dark pair of sunglasses and decided to brave a walk outside. His head might be pounding and his eyes might be sensitive to bright lights, but he had to do _something_ to counteract all the alcohol. With one hand firmly against the wall of the hallway, Sky set off.

He received some odd looks, but he wasn't entirely sure if it was due to the fact that he was wearing sunglasses inside, or the fact that he was walking around in sweatpants. He didn't really care. Reaching the door to the garden, Sky braced himself for the impending pain before opening the door and stepping outside. He hissed at the sunlight, but he refused to go back inside. Instead, he fixed his eyes on the ground and followed the path around the garden.

He wasn't entirely sure how long he had been walking in circles but as a wave of nausea hit him without warning, he figured it would be a good idea to sit down. Quickly. Luckily he was by the reflection pool and he flopped onto the stone bench, listening to the pattering of the waterfall. His breath came quickly and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. His fingers reflexively tightened and loosened on the edge of the bench and he forcibly swallowed the bile back down. He would _not_ get sick in the academy garden.

_Bridge was supporting him back to their room, stumbling under his weight. Sky was attempting to get into the green ranger's pockets; Bridge was batting his hands away, blushing._

_Sky was leaning against the wall while Bridge unlocked their door, and Sky was asking if Bridge was joining him in bed._

_Bridge was undressing him so he'd be more comfortable and Sky was teasing him about getting into his pants. The entire time, the green ranger wore a blush._

Sky couldn't hold it in anymore. He leaned over and threw up. Panting, he kept his head between his knees. And that's how Bridge found him on his way back to their room.

"Sky, are you okay?" he asked, hurrying over to the bench to check the blue ranger over.

"M'fine. I threw up," he explained, flushing with embarrassment.

"That's okay," Bridge said gently, trying to comfort him. "It's known to happen. Come on," he said, tugging on the older ranger's arm. "Let's get you back to bed. I'll get you some more ginger ale." Sky didn't say anything, but he allowed himself to be led back to bed. Bridge tucked him in before gathering up his breakfast plate and Sky's ginger ale glass. Heading out the door to the cafeteria, he paused when Sky called to him.

"Hey, Bridge? Thanks." Bridge smiled softly.

"You're welcome," he whispered. He shut the door softly behind him, but Sky was already asleep.

~Aren't I just the worst?~


	2. Miscommunication

The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed. - Carl Jung

~Monday, March 19

Sky woke with a rough moan, wishing - for the first time in his life - that he was one of those people who could simply roll over and fall back asleep. He scrubbed his hands over his face, the friction helping to remove the last vestiges of sleep. He sent up a silent prayer that his hangover had dissipated, though a funny taste still lingered in his mouth.

Stumbling into the bathroom for a shower, he decided that he could not put off his usual work-out routine. Besides, the repetitive movements would leave his mind free to plot revenge on Mage and Romy. And he _would_ be plotting revenge. He bit back a yelp as the cold water struck his skin, and he adjusted the temperature to something more acceptable than the frigid temperature of the Antarctic. He let the shower pummel him with water, steadying himself with a hand against the wall. He could easily think of a thousand ways to deal with Mage and Romy, but what to do with Bridge was another matter entirely. As much as Sky loved the green ranger (and he could easily admit that it was love) he had no idea what to do with this excess of emotion, and his uncertainty was hindering him.

Was Bridge aware of just how deep the blue ranger's affection was? If he did, did he return that affection? What, exactly, was Bridge looking for? And was Sky someone who could meet the challenge?

Sky didn't have the answer to any of those questions, and it was with an unsettled mind that he shut off the shower, dressed, and left for the gym.

The sound of his feet slapping the pavement of a track was like a catharsis to the emotionally stretched ranger. It emptied his head of all the annoying thoughts and allowed him to look at things in a clearer manner. Sky did his best thinking while he was running.

He knew it was tantamount to cowardice to leave before the green ranger had woken up. He should have stuck around and talked with Bridge - to assure the younger ranger that he wasn't ashamed about what happened; that he wasn't trying to avoid taking responsibility; that he did, in fact, want it to happen again - preferably when he was _not _drunk out of his mind. But he needed to have his head on straight for this talk, so he kept running.

Bridge woke in degrees, but he didn't even need to open his eyes to realize that the older ranger wasn't in the room. He sincerely hoped that Sky had left for his morning run and wasn't ignoring him. Sighing, he heaved his body out of bed before grabbing some casual clothing. On normal days off he wouldn't have bother to change out of his pajamas, but today he had promised Kat that he would help in the lab. Whatever Boomer had done to explode the lab had apparently left him more indisposed than it usually did. Bridge wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to know exactly _what_ Boomer had done or _how_ he had managed to explode the lab. He contemplated leaving a note for Sky, but quickly exited the room before he did anything extraordinarily stupid. It's not like Sky cared what Bridge did on their days off, right?

Sky wiped the perspiration off his forehead as the door to his room slid open. The greeting for Bridge died on his lips as he realized the green ranger wasn't in their room. His brow furrowed in confusion as he tried to think where Bridge could have possibly gone. He didn't think Bridge had any training or appointments scheduled for today, and he hadn't mentioned anything last night to Sky. Uneasiness settled in his chest as he entered the bathroom to clean up.

Hair still damp from his shower, Sky stretched out on his bed. Book clasped in his hand, he tried to focus his attention but it was in vain. Thoughts were racing through his head at a million miles an hour and all it was doing was building up in him. He wished Bridge would come back to the room. As if by magic, the door slid open and the green ranger entered into the room.

"Hey, Sky. How's it going?" he greeted. A small smile graced the blue ranger's lips and he placed his book to the side.

"Hey, Bridge. Where have you been hiding all day?" he teased. Bridge chuckled, kicking his shoes off and falling onto his own bed. "Apparently Boomer blew things up a little _too_ well this time. He's still confined to bed for recuperation. Kat asked me to cover for him again today. Sorry I forgot to tell you. How about you? Still need to get some of your memory back?" he joked nervously.

"Actually," Sky stated, sitting a little straighter, "I think we need to have a talk." He paused, trying to think of how to continue. Bridge watched as a myriad of emotions flitted across the older ranger's face. As the blush creeped up blue ranger's face Bridge could feel his heart sinking. Sky was obviously embarrassed about what had happened. Before Sky could continue, Bridge cut him off.

"Look, it's alright." Bridge stated. "You were drunk, and when you're drunk, you don't act normally. You don't have to worry, Sky, I won't mention it again." Sky's head shot up, and he stared at the younger boy in shock. Did Bridge really not want to talk about what had happened? He tilted his head, totally confused about what was going on.

"Do you think that's the best way to deal with this?" he asked hesitantly.

"Don't you? You weren't yourself, and I understand that. We'll just...put it behind us and carry on like normal, yeah?" Sky felt like the entire conversation had spun out of his control.

"Okay. If that's what you want." Bridge gave a tight smile and a small nod.

"I'm gonna take a shower. Wanna grab dinner then?" Sky gave a small nod, eyes trailing after the younger ranger as he disappeared into the bathroom. _What just __happened?_


	3. Setting the Record Straight

Bridge was as good as his word. Not only did he refrain from mentioning The Incident - as Sky would forever reference it as - but he all but disappeared from Sky's view. The blue ranger would come back from his morning exercise and find that the green ranger was already gone. He would enter the cafeteria for breakfast just in time to see Bridge exiting the room through the other set of doors. He couldn't turn down a corridor without seeing the younger ranger turning a corner ahead of him. If Sky was entering the Common Room, it was only to find Bridge heading to the lab. When Sky returned to the room for bed, Bridge was still out. It was driving the blue ranger crazy!

* * *

Bridge sighed wearily, flopping across the lab table. He was utterly exhausted. He had never realized just how much of his day had been spent in the company of the older ranger until he had started trying to avoid him. He had managed successfully the last few days thanks to careful planning and Kat's goodwill.

Every morning his alarm clock would ring shortly after Sky left for his morning work-out. By the time the green ranger dragged himself out of bed, showered and prepared for the day, he had just enough time to make it to the cafeteria before Sky returned. By the time Sky would enter the cafeteria, Bridge would be on his way out the door. With Kat's blessings, Bridge had been given free reign in the lab - provided he help her with her work first - and the younger ranger spent the majority of the day helping Kat with experiments and relaying her findings to Cruger. After Kat left, Bridge would grab a table and lose himself in his own scientific thoughts until close to midnight. This entire routine was killing him.

"Bridge, are you still here?" The green ranger jumped in surprise, whirling around to face the doctor.

"Kat! Hi!" he shouted, trying to calm his racing heart. "You startled me! I didn't hear you come in." The doctor made an amused noise, stepping out of the shadows.

"Obviously."

"What are you doing here?" he asked. The expression Kat sent him, complete with arched eyebrow, made him regret asking that question.

"It's my lab, Bridge." Bridge laughed nervously. "I just stopped by. I was expecting a transmission from a colleague, but it looks like it won't be coming in until tomorrow. Bridge, are you alright? It's not like you to be caught _totally_ off-guard," she stated, trying to make a small joke.

"Yeah," he responded, distractedly. "Yeah, I just...I just have a lot on my mind." Kat's gaze drifted to the table. Bridge's morpher sat on the surface, light blinking to show the green ranger that he had missed calls. Bridge winced as he noticed what had arrested Kat's attention.

"Well," Kat stated, "I think both of us should get to bed." Bridge inwardly groaned, but knew he couldn't argue without explaining everything to Kat, and he wasn't sharing that story with anyone. He sincerely hoped Sky was already asleep.

Luck was on Bridge's side even before he made it back to the room. Kat realized she had forgotten her research notes in the lab and doubled-back, leaving Bridge to continue on his own. Creeping down the hallway - _I could totally be a ninja_, he thought - he entered the Common Room. Curling onto a couch, Bridge pulled down an afghan off the back of the couch and wrapped it around him. Pulling out his morpher, the young ranger began the task of listening to his messages. As the voice-mails progressed, Bridge could hear annoyance sneaking into the blue ranger's voice before being replaced by concern and a controlled panic. Bridge's resolve wavered and he felt a sudden urge to run to their bedroom and beg the older boy's forgiveness. Squashing the feeling down, the green ranger mentally chastised himself. _I'm sorry, Sky_, he thought. _Just a few more days. Then this whole incident will have blown over._

* * *

Bridge woke with a crick in his neck from falling asleep on the couch. It was just going on five-thirty, if the clock on the TV was to be believed. He stretched, feeling his spine cracking and sighed in contentment. He tossed the afghan onto the back of the couch and stumbled back to his room. As the door slid open Bridge let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding. He had managed to miss the blue ranger. Crawling into the shower, he held himself upright as the warm water pounded down on his skin, making him feel more human. After a quick stop at the cafeteria to pick up coffee - _Mmm, caffeine_, he thought - Bridge slunk into the lab. He was greeted by the sight of Kat standing with her arms crossed and an unhappy expression on her face.

"Your messages," she stated, holding out a stack of papers. "And you're banned from the lab today." Bridge's eyes widened in terror.

"Wha-? Kat! Don't do this to me!" he pleaded. Kat firmly shook her head.

"I'm not enabling you in this behavior, Bridge. Talk to him," she ordered, pushing the green ranger out of the lab. As the door slid shut behind him, Bridge contemplated where in the academy he could hide from the blue ranger. Sighing, Bridge turned toward the gym. Maybe a good work out would help clear his mind.

* * *

The young ranger groaned, sinking lower into the warmth of the water. _Why_ had he thought working out would be a good idea? Good god! And Sky did this every morning? The older man must have a masochistic streak a mile wide! He winced as he accidentally put pressure on the large bruise which was forming on his left shoulder blade. He sighed, his head tilting back and resting against the lip of the tub. Feeling the heat seep into his aching body, Bridge let his eyes slide shut.

Bridge jerked awake as the door to the bedroom hissed shut. He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep, but the bathwater hadn't completely cooled yet. He laid prostrate in the tub, trying to muster the energy to move when the sound of voices sharpened his attention.

"See? I told you he wasn't here," Sky stated bitterly. Bridge cocked his head trying hard not to shift his body. If the water started moving, they would quickly realize that he _was_ here. "He's been avoiding me ever since Saint Patrick's day."

"What happened?" Bridge strained his ears, trying to catch the voice. He thought it was Syd, but he couldn't be one hundred percent sure.

"My cousin sent me home drunk of my ass and I tried to get in Bridge's pants." Syd (Bridge had made a mental bet with himself that the girl was really Syd) laughed. "I'm serious!" Sky shouted, and Bridge could hear him pacing around their room.

"I know, I'm sorry," Syd apologized. "So, what? He thought you were just trying to one-night stand him?"

"I don't know," he responded miserably. "When I tried to talk to him about it he cut me off. I was trying to find a way to tell him that I really was interested in him and he totally jumped over me. He told me not to worry about it - that we never had to talk about it again. He's been avoiding me like the plague ever since." Silence settled in the next room and Bridge sat in the tub with his mouth hanging open. Sky was _interested_ in him? Sky was interested in _him_? Bridge did a little victory dance in his head before tuning back into the conversation next door.

"I'll see if I can track him down at the lab. Let me see if I can clear up some of this misunderstanding, okay?" The girl asked.

"Thanks, Syd." Bridge mentally paid himself five dollars as the room door hissed open and then shut. Exiting the tub as quietly as he could, he left the water standing. He didn't want the noise of draining bathwater alerting Sky to his presence before he was ready. Toweling off and dressing in his pajamas, Bridge opened the bathroom door. He was greeted to the sight of the blond sitting on his bed. Sky's feet were on the floor, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands cradling his head. He looked utterly despondent. Bridge stood in the doorway, wavering in indecision. Sky lifted his head and froze as he caught sight of the green ranger. "Bridge? Were you in the bathroom when I got in?"

"Uh...yeah." _Eloquent, Carson_, Bridge thought. The green ranger braced himself, not sure how Sky would take to knowing that Bridge had eavesdropped on a private conversation. Sky's eyes narrowed, but his next question wasn't what the younger ranger had thought it would be.

"Bridge, did you get jumped?" Bridge tilted his head in confusion.

"What? No. Ohh," he stated, realizing what Sky was referring to. "No, I, uh, I...I went to the...gym," he finished lamely, looking at the floor in embarrassment. "I had some thinking to do and...it seemed like a good idea at the time," he explained.

"Do you want some pain reliever?" Sky asked softly. He stood before Bridge could answer, quickly making his way to the doorway and gliding past the green ranger. Bridge reached out and grabbed the older boy's wrist before he even registered moving. Sky looked over his shoulder, confusion and a silent question both written plainly on his face. Bridge answered both with a kiss.

End


End file.
